Editors



Current Editors: Jane Onyemachi and Madelyn Schmidt

(Please email editors if there is blog-worthy news that you would like to see shared)

Past Editors: Fareen Momin, Andrea Francis, Renat Ahatov, Michael Phan, Elise Weisert, Michael Ryan, Keith Wagner, Tim Allen, Kristyna Gleghorn, Dung Mac, Alex Acosta, William Tausend, Sheila Jalalat, Rebecca Philips, Chelsea Altinger, Lindsey Hunter, Alison Wiesenthal, Leslie Scroggins, Mara Dacso, Ashley Group, Fadi Constantine, Emily Fridlington, Joslyn Witherspoon, Tasneem Poonawalla.

Friday, June 28, 2019

Registration and Hotel Information for 2019 Fall Texas Dermatological Society Meeting (San Antonio)

The Texas Dermatological website is now accepting registration for the fall meeting in San Antonio (https://www.texasdermatology.org/AMSIMIS/shared/Event_Display.aspx?EventKey=TDSF19 ). Hotel reservations at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort are also available by calling  (210) 647-1234 at the discounted meeting rate of $229/night if you tell them you are there for the TDS meeting.

Thursday, June 27, 2019

UTMB Dermatology Honors Thesis Published

Congratulations to Dr. Keith Wagner (UTMB SOM 2019) and his coauthors Dr. J. Croley (UTMB PGY4 dermatology resident) and Dr. J. Wilson (UTMB Assistant Professor of Dermatology) for their recent publication in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology titled, “Internet Skin Disease Hoaxes: An Evaluation on Their Scope and Potential Impact on Dermatology.” This Research Letter (J Am Acad Dermatol. 2019 Jun 22. pii: S0190-9622(19)31025-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2019.06.036. Epub ahead of print) was based on original research conducted while Dr. Wagner was a medical student participating in the UTMB Dermatology Research Honors Program. Dr. Wagner is the immediate past president of the UTMB DIG, and the recipient of the 2019 Edgar B. Smith Award for excellent dermatology research conducted while in the UTMB Department of Dermatology. Following a PGY1 transitional year at Hurley Medical Center in Flint, Michigan, he will join the UTMB dermatology residency program in July 2020.


Wednesday, June 26, 2019

More Information about 2019 Fall Texas Dermatological Society Meeting

All podium and poster applications are due on Friday, August 23, 2019 for the TDS September 27-28 meeting in San Antonio. Abstracts and poster PDFs are due on Friday, August 30th. Additional  information is available on the TDS website ( https://www.texasdermatology.org/amsimis/ ) under “Residents Corner.”

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

UTMB Mohs Team Publishes Article About Skin Grafting



Congratulations to Dr. Julie Croley for her first author publication in the June 2019 issue of Cutis titled,  “Clinical Pearl: Advantages of the Scalp as a Split-Thickness Skin Graft Donor Site” (103:369-370). Her coauthors are Drs. Jason Hirshburg (UTMB Mohs Fellow during 2017-2018 who is now dermatology faculty at University of Oklahoma) and Richard Wagner, UTMB’s Mohs Fellowship Director.

Friday, June 21, 2019

Thank You Dr. Will Tausend!



Dr. Will Tausend returned to UTMB Dermatology to lecture our residents about what he has learned during his first year of private practice. It was the last day that all 4 of our completing PGY4 residents were present. He is a UTMB SOM graduate (Class of 2014) and completed dermatology residency at UTMB in 2018. He is currently in practice with his father in Pasadena, Texas. Thanks for the cookie cake with the names of all of our new graduates!


UTMB PGY4 Dermatology Residents Present Scholarly Projects to Dermatology Department

Congratulations to our PGY4 dermatology residents for completing their departmental scholarly projects and presenting them to faculty and residents on Friday, June 14, 2019. The following research was presented:

Dr. Vlad Codrea: “Handedness in Micrographic Surgery Fellows: An Anonymous Professional Survey of Fellowship Directors”

Dr. Kyle Kaltwasser: “Dermoscopy Patient Satisfaction”

Dr. Kristin Wolf: “An Analysis of Dermatologic Diagnoses on Instagram”

Dr. Kate Woolridge: “Survey to Assess Laboratory Monitoring Practices during Standard Courses of Isotretinoin for Acne”


Following these presentations, the dermatology faculty commented how well-done all of the presentations were this year. They awarded Dr. Kate Woolridge with the 2019 “Dermatology Faculty Award for Excellence in Resident Research.”

2019 Fall Texas Dermatological Society Meeting

The 2019 fall meeting of the Texas Dermatological Society (TDS) will be held in San Antonio at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort & Spa on Friday and Saturday, September 27-28. More information to follow. Residents who are the first authors on posters and podium presentations are eligible for awards in each category. Medical students may also present their work at this meeting, but are not eligible for awards when they are the first author on posters or presenters at the podium.

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

UTMB Mohs Team Transitions



As Dr. Josh Hammel (center) completes Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology Fellowship at UTMB, he instructs Dr. Vlad Codrea (left), the 2019-2020 Mohs Fellow, while PGY2 Dr. Kristyna Gleghorn (right) looks on.


Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Learn How to Create a Better Scientific Poster

The UTMB Office of Educational Development is offering a Teaching Skills Workshop early next month (July 1 or July 2). Those interested are encouraged to attend. It is open to UTMB faculty, residents and students. Additional information and registration is available at https://utmb.us/3d3

Thursday, June 13, 2019

Summary of Dermatology Residency Interview Trends

For a good overview of dermatology interview trends over the past 5 years, a new study published in the May 2019 issue of Dermatology Online Journal provides useful information to current applicants in “Interview date trends for dermatology residency from 2012-2017” (see https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4pr742jj ). Highlights are that over 80% of dermatology interview invitations were sent in November, most interviews were scheduled for January (66.3%), and most programs have 3 or less interview dates. Since most programs interview on Thursdays and Fridays, overlapping interview dates from competing residency programs result in applicants declining interviews, with the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th week in January being the most problematic.

Monday, June 10, 2019

UTMB DIG Blog Recognized in Top 100 Dermatology Blogs



 The UTMB DIG Blog is on the list of top Dermatology Blogs at number 75. The DIG Blog has been running continuously for 15 years since July of 2004 and strives to provide high quality information to medical students and promote student achievements. Thanks to all of our contributors!

The full list of the Top 100 Dermatology Blogs can be found here:

Saturday, June 08, 2019

Congratulations 2019 UTMB Completing Residents and Fellows



Graduation ceremonies were held at Porch Cafe in Galveston for UTMB Dermatology completing residents and Fellows. 



From right to left, pictured are: Drs. Kyle Kaltwasser (PGY4), Vlad Codrea (PGY4), Liliana Rincon (Dermatopathology Fellow), Kate Woolridge (PGY4), Josh Hammel (Mohs Fellow) and Kristin Wolf (PGY4).

Thursday, June 06, 2019

Medical Student Writes Article for The Dermatologist

Congratulations to Maureen Ezekor (MS3) on her recent publication in The Dermatologist titled "Rosacea Increases the Risk of Cancer, but Does it Matter?"  https://www.the-dermatologist.com/article/rosacea-increases-risk-cancer-does-it-matter. Her co-author is Dr. Steven Feldman the Chief Medical Editor of The Dermatologist and faculty member at Wake Forest University.

Tuesday, June 04, 2019

UTMB PGY3 Dermatology Resident Contributes to Cutis Podcast

UTMB PGY3 Dr. Julie Croley contributed to the dermatology resident led discussion, “Being on-call as a dermatology resident” in their May 30, 2019 podcast. It is available at https://www.mdedge.com/dermatology under the “Dermatology Weekly” section of the webpage.

Sunday, June 02, 2019

PGY4 Dermatology Resident Honored by UTMB AOA Chapter

Each year, UTMB's AOA chapter selects 2 residents through a member run nomination and voting process. This year, Dr. Kristin Wolf was selected by student AOA members for going above and beyond demonstrating teaching, volunteerism, and mentoring. This nomination has also made her eligible for official AOA membership.
Here are some comments that were said about Dr. Wolf during the nomination and voting process:  
"Dr. Wolf is one of the most kindhearted and intelligent residents I have ever met. She is the medical student coordinator for the dermatology department and is always willing to mentor any student that comes to her. She is constantly willing to teach and explain difficulty concepts in clinic, as well as stay late after hours to provide sage advice for applications. She has spent many hours after work reviewing personal statements and helping applicants be as competitive as possible. She is a true role model of the ideal resident, and a resident that I will strive to model my own behavior on in residency."  
"Dr. Kristin Wolf has been a wonderful mentor to medical students. She is always willing to lend a helping hand, whether in clinic or after work for advice for applications. She genuinely cares about medical student education and success, and is a shining example of how a resident should be." 
If you see Dr. Wolf before she completes dermatology residency at the end of this month, be sure to congratulate her on her achievement!